Goodbye
by obsidians
Summary: Kasumi has something to tell Dr. Tofu, how will he take it? Not sure where I'm going with this story
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Ranma ½ or its characters; Rumiko Takahashi does and I make no money from writing this story.

"Betty could you please get Kasumi some tea?" the infatuationed Dr. Ono Tofu said through his fog of delusion. He gazed at the gorgeous young woman through his steamed up glasses and longed to tell her what was in his heart, 'I love you' he thought desperately as if trying to convey his feelings through mental telepathy.

Kasumi laughed, delighted at the young doctors antics, his buffoonery making what she had to tell him all the more easy for her. She had had a huge crush on him once and used to write secret love letters to him that she never sent. She used to write the words 'Mrs. Kasumi Tofu and Mrs. Tofu' over and over again in her secret diary that not even Nabiki knew about. The main reason why being that she thought her sister to be too dull to really hold any secrets that she could use for blackmail.

When Kasumi first learned to cook she had blushingly left a bowl of soup on his doorstep, she had known him her entire life. She had dreamed about marrying him and living with him. He seemed so fascinating by being so intelligent one minute and acting like a jackanapes the next.

She giggled when he put a patient's file on his head and wore it like a hat while he told a teenaged boy that he suspected that he was developing menopause; this caused all the patients in the office to flee for their lives. Even the ones in casts ran away with their crutches held over their heads, leaving the befubbled doctor and Kasumi alone. She laughed even harder when the doctor started dancing with Betty, even though it felt like her heart was breaking.

Taking a deep breath, she said "Dr. Tofu I have something to tell you. I wanted you to be the first to know because you're always been a dear friend to me. Sometimes I even thought that someday..." she said and blushed, unable to continue so large a revelation for a shy young girl. "Dr. Tofu I'm nineteen now and want to start a family of my own. I don't want to have to look after my father until I'm old and grey. Now that Mrs. Saotome's staying with us, my family doesn't need me so much" she said to the still capering doctor as he spun Betty around in a waltz, complete with elaborate dips, while he sang along tunelessly. "Even Akane's almost a grown woman and will be moving out for college soon. I have a suitor that I met at the library" Kasumi paused. "He's from America and he's asked me to marry him. I'd hoped that someday you and I would.....never mind. I've accepted his proposal and will be leaving for America in a week, so that we can get married on his family's ranch. He's a gentleman and will make an excellent husband and father; he has a good job and has the same old fashioned values as myself. I was hoping that you would give me your opinion, am I doing the right thing? I doubt that I will get this opportunity again and I don't want to wait anymore. What do you think doctor?" she implored Dr. Tofu.

Dr. Tofu turned his fogged up glasses on her and declared "I think that Betty's the best dance partner I've ever had. But she never got you that tea" while his heart begged 'no don't go, I love you, I love you, I love you. Marry me, don't ever leave me!'

Kasumi smiled through the tears that ran down her cheeks, even now when she was trying to make the most difficult decision of her life, he was trying to cheer her up. Even at the height of his foolery, he looked so handsome with his large powerful body, dark ponytailed hair and dark gentle eyes. The hands that held Betty were large and capable, how she longed to hold his hand just once, to feel his calloused palm in her own. He had healing hands; hands that she'd imagined cradling their baby one day. Kasumi then realized that all she'd ever felt for him was a childish crush that he could never return. He was still her wisecracking family doctor, who would never see her as a woman and let her dreams of them go.

She would marry Sean, who she loved in her own way. She would move to Montana and into his family's ranch house, to help with their cattle business. She would learn English and that would be the language that their children would speak. She would learn to love him in the way that Sean, as a good man deserved. He would her husband, not Dr. Tofu.

Ono tried to get himself to protest, to come out of the haze that she put him in, but every time he opened his mouth more lunacy came pouring out of it.

Kasumi waited for him to speak his mind, but he didn't seem to want to besides his cheerful nattering. She smiled at him patiently and gave up. "Dr. Tofu, you've brought much joy to my family and myself. I thank you for being a friend and I wish that you someday find that person who is meant for you as I did" she said and boldly kissed him on the cheek.

She smiled and dried her tears when he started leaping around the room like a monkey, joyfully singing a song about kissing and then flopped on the floor unconscious. Kasumi, assuming that he was still fooling around, turned and left him. She wasn't looking forward to telling her father about her decision, but didn't want to sacrifice her youth acting as a maid any longer.

It wasn't until an hour later that Dr. Tofu woke up with his mind uncluttered and anguishedly shouted "Kasumi!"


	2. Chapter 2

Dr. Tofu got off the floor and closed his clinic with a heavy heart. "Betty what should I do?" he asked the skeleton and then realized she wasn't going to answer him. She was a skeleton after all, oddly enough; she was the only almost-person he felt comfortable discussing his feelings for Kasumi with. It's not like she would repeat them to anyone.

He walked home to his large, empty house; he'd bought it with the idea of marrying Kasumi and having a family with her. The popular doctor was greeted by many people in the street as he walked home, he merely grunted back in his distracted state.

He pulled open his door and said "I'm home honey" as he did every night in preparation for when she would be there to answer him. He imagined her greeting him at the door with a kiss and putting on tea, so that they could sit down and chat about their days before they ate the dinner that she'd prepared for them. Then he realized that she would never come here, not even as a friend because she was going to America and it was his fault!

How many times had he tried to tell her about his feelings for her only to make a fool of himself? He couldn't understand it; he considered himself to be intelligent and could speak to anybody, except Kasumi. He had been captain of the debating team in college and could easily debate world politics, advances in medicine, history and theology; yet put him in front of the young homemaker and he was lucky if he could speak!

He sighed and got undressed to take a bath; he pulled out his ponytail, let down his shoulder length dark hair and took off his glasses. Clad only in his underwear, he thought he looked pretty good for thirty two. His body was still as tightly muscled as when he was in his twenties, constant working outs did this. With his hair down, he thought he still looked foxy, his college girlfriend used to call him. Yes he had had one; she had been fun and loved to party, which was fine for when you're young. It hadn't been a serious affair and they broke up soon after college. He'd been on a few dates since then but hadn't found anyone who could measure up to his ideal of feminine beauty, his mother. She was the proverbial kitten with a whip and traditional Japanese beauty at the same time. Then one day he had noticed the then sixteen year old Kasumi and had fallen madly in love with her, and had been playing the fool for her whenever she was around ever since. How many times had he tried to ask her out, only to make her laugh at his loutish behaviour while his heart ached?

He thought of the people that seemed to swarm around Ranma, drawn to him like honey bees. Dr. Tofu loved living in Nerima now that Ranma was here; there was never a dull moment. With the various challenges and jealously fights between the various male and female martial artists; who needed to pay for cable? He smiled at their antics and tried to give them advice when they asked for it. How many times had he wanted to turn their heads away from the object of their affections and say "try that one instead, they'd be more compatible with you", but never did? Yet at least they had the excuse of being adolescents; he didn't even have that. He also had to laugh that they all seemed to come to his clinic with problems outside of his area of practice. Like the time that Ryoga had come to him with his face flaming, asking for a penicillin based cure for something that he'd picked up from a girl on the road. It had been curable and Ryoga had departed with a box of rubbers to prevent future problems. Dr. Tofu had been amused that it was Ryoga that needed these.

He thought about Kasumi, she seemed so shy and demure. She was always sitting beside her father catering to his every need and being subservient to the people of the house. 'What was the real Kasumi like?' he wondered. He knew that she liked to read, he'd once run into her at the library after she'd dropped her books. Her cheeks seemed to burn as he helped her pick them up, he realized that they were all steamy romance novels like 'paradise in flames, lady of sin and carnal innocence' He'd quirked his brow at her, almost comfortable with her for once now that she seemed almost human rather then the angel he thought her to be. He opened his mouth to talk to her, actually talk to her and sighed in frustration when he began singing the musical score of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado, in English, so she hadn't a clue what he was singing. She had giggled and excused herself. Another opportunity lost.

Dr. Tofu washed himself then settled into his onsen with a groan, acting the fool was a strain on the muscles even for one as limber as himself. 'Kasumi' he thought with sorrow. He loved everything about her, the demure, ladylike way that she dressed. Her, polite friendly demeanor. Her quiet beauty and gentle ways. Some people thought her a bimbo with her soft voice and large eyes, but you can't grow up with Nabiki and be an idiot. She was a true lady who was probably saving herself for marriage, not that Ono hadn't ever pictured their wedding night.

The Tendo sisters all so beautiful in their own ways: Akane was the fiery one, Nabiki was the devious one and Kasumi was the quiet one. The one he loved; the one who always put him in a dither just by being near him. He smacked his head. How could he have thought that no one else would notice while he geared himself up to ask her out? Who could get to know her and not love her? Damn it, she was meant to be his, not with some yahoo from America!

Dr. Tofu got out of the water and put on his robe, he stood in front of the mirror and said "Kasumi would you like to go out to dinner with me?" Nothing, his glasses didn't fog up, nor did he start acting crazy. No when she wasn't with him, he was fine, but when she was....chaos. He sighed in sorrow, he was getting sick of being a bachelor and he was getting sick of the girls that his mother kept on trying to match him up with. He certainly hadn't enjoyed almost being matched with Ranma! She'd even suggested that perhaps she should find him a nice male when he was younger! All he wanted was a simple life spent with the woman of his dreams, preferably where he didn't act like a lunatic the entire time!

He didn't know what was wrong with him, he'd tried therapy, he'd tried mediation, and he'd even tried positive and negative enforcement! Nothing seemed to work. Kasumi not there, as cool as a cucumber; Kasumi there, instant buffoon! There had to be some way to break through the idiot barrier he reasoned. But how? He had to think of a plan and fast, he only had a week to change her mind.

He ate a lonely dinner and did some paperwork until it was almost ten thirty and then he went to the same place he did every night. He stood in the shadows across from the Tendo household and watched as the light came on in Kasumi's room. He always felt like a pervert when he did this, he always purposely chose an angle where he couldn't see her undress, all he could see was the light in her room. He knew that she went to bed at ten thirty every night, after she prepared the bento boxes for the school bound members of the household. He pictured her washing her face, changing into her nightgown (he tried not to focus too much on this part), brushing her teeth and brushing her hair. Then she did what she did every night regardless of the weather; she pushed open her window and leaned out to stare into the night. The light in her room highlighted her features and made her glow like an angel. She mouthed something, closed her window and turned out the light.

"Goodnight Kasumi" he whispered and went home. That is he intended in this pursuit, just to be last one to say goodnight to her.

Kasumi prepared for bed, pushed open her window and leaned out, she looked in the direction where Dr. Tofu lived and said "goodnight Dr. Tofu" then turned out the light and went to bed. She knew it was silly, but it made her feel good to express her feelings if only to the night. Besides, she would have to stop this soon anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm getting a little sick of the freezing Toronto weather. Whoever is sending it to us, please stop. I look really bad in hats, the Russian-style earflap type makes me look like a mentally challenged kid and my toque, a streety little kid according to my friends; either way, I look like a little kid. Go figure.

I still can't update on weekends, sorry.

I now have my chapter writing groove, on so this story shall be improving. Yes aff Scorpianac, I am stealing your Dr. Tofu and Mom talk idea. I'd already planned on something like this, but like the direct confrontation idea the best. I swear I should send you all my story ideas from now on, to see how they should be written. Not the yaoi ones mind you, you don't seem to care for those :)

Trivia: Where did this expression come from? I worship his divine shadow

Btw, sorry the AN are so long today, I always feel chatty on Fridays. Oh yeah Kasumi's going to be very OOC in this chapter.

******

Kasumi

"Kasumi you can't leave!!!" sobbed her father Soun Tendo. "Who is this masher who steals my little girl to America? What sort of lothario is he?" he whined.

Kasumi for once, uncharitably thought that her father was a drama queen "his name is Sean Ross and he's neither a masher nor a lothario. We've been dating for six months now are in love. The reason for the hasty engagement is that his great-grandfather is dying and Sean wants to get married right away so that he can be there. His great-grandfather means the world to him. That's also the reason why we're leaving so soon" she explained.

"Six months, why didn't you tell me that you were dating someone? If he was a proper gentleman, he should've met me and asked my permission to date you" protested Soun.

Kasumi kept her anger in check "that's not how things are done in America, where he's from. I didn't tell you about him because you would have meddled and interfered until he ran away because you don't want me to date anyone. You want me here acting as your surrogate wife" she said.

Soun looked at her "Kasumi that's not true" he protested.

"Father, when mother died you were a wreck, so I quit school to look after you. Now I'm nineteen with no job skills or education to recommend me and literally wear my mother's shoes. What sort of future shall I have if I don't marry? I don't want to become a burden upon those who inherit the dojo...... and me along with it because I have no where else to go" she said.

Ranma turned to the Kasumi, feeling like he was meeting her for the first time "you would never be a burden on us" he declared.

Kasumi flashed him a grateful look, and then turned back to her father "father you should remarry or reopen the dojo. Miss Hinako would have you and she's gorgeous, if a little insane but harmless. If you started teaching again, you would have more money to fix this place up and it would give you something to do. It isn't healthy how you sit around with Mr. Saotome and drink all day long, mother wouldn't have liked it" she said softly.

"So you really want to go?" Soun asked.

"Yes, I feel its time. I've wanted to leave for a while" she admitted.

Soun looked at her sharply "but why?" he cried.

Kasumi looked at her shocked siblings; and Ranma and said "father you have nothing to do but try and force two sixteen year olds into marriage, who are in no way ready for it. You send all the time you have, when you should be providing for your family, trying to come up with schemes to get them married. You even have encouraged them to have premarital sex; Akane's your own daughter. You should be discouraging her from that sort of behaviour, not handing her to Ranma on a plate! What sort of a father are you!" she shouted, everything that she had been holding back came rushing out at once. She was happy that she Soun had the sense to look embarrassed.

"I've never thought about it that way" Soun said in a mystified tone of voice. "I guess that I have failed both you and Akane?" he said looking sad.

Kasumi hugged him "you're been a great and wonderful father, but you have to move on." she said.

Soun nodded "I will reopen the dojo, I can teach Ranma to run it and he can help with classes. I do miss teaching" he declared. "Do I at least get to meet your future husband?" he asked.

Kasumi smiled "of course father" she said.

Dr. Tofu

Dr. Tofu had closed his clinic for the day in order to take his mother, Kin Tofu out to dinner. He smiled when he saw the diminutive, yet feisty woman come into the restaurant with his father's shrine strapped onto her back. After a bit of confusion on the part of the waiters, the shrine was relocated to the corner of the restaurant and a couple phonebooks supplied for Kin. He kissed his mother hello and braced himself for what was always her first question.

"Have you asked me here to tell me that you're getting married?" she demanded. "I would start to call you an old maid if that applied to a man" she said in an exasperated tone of voice.

Ono groaned inwardly "No, I need to ask you about father's....condition' he said. "I want to know how you cured it" he said.

Kin turned her shrewd eyes on her son "ah, you mean your father's love lunacy that you unfortunately inherited? This is about Kasumi" she declared. She took a sip of her tea, and then said "It's simple, I seduced him"

Ono own tea went down the wrong way and his face burned "y-you seduced him" he stammered.

Kin looked at him "yes, I got sick of his shenanigans, so I waited until my parents were out of town and invited him to tea, and then I jumped his bones. He sang silly songs throughout, but it cured him and we became engaged that day. It's caused by the fear that your loved one will reject you, some people get really quiet when in the presence of the one they love, while others babble on a mile a minute. The males in our family tend towards the latter, only an extreme version of this. Once you know for certain that your heart's desire wants you too, then it goes away. It doesn't have to be an extreme display like mine, just a simple declaration of love is usually enough to end it" she explained.

"So I have to get her to say that she loves me?" Dr. Tofu said, fearful of the idea and wondering what he would sing at her.

"In a nutshell, yes and you better do it soon; I want grandchildren" Kin declared.

Ryoga

Ryoga listened to the conversation that the Tendo's were having with dawning horror. 'Kasumi's getting married and not to Doctor Tofu?' thought the little black pig. He'd came into the Tendo house in pig form to get to sleep with Akane, thirsting for the affection she dispensed to him so freely in this form. Ryoga wasn't prone to meddling, but he liked Dr. Tofu and felt that he owed him for the 'incident' His piggy brain went into overdrive as he thought of a ways to help him. He trotted into the kitchen dragging his clothes behind him; he knew it was Ranma's turn to do the dishes.

Ranma scowled at the pig "hello p-chan have you come to sleep with my fiancée?" he said coldly, disapproving of the other martial artist's sneaky tactics in the pursuit of love. P-chan just did his cute little squeal and then indicated his clothes. "Oh you want some hot water, hold on" Ranma said cluing into what he wanted.

The now human Ryoga walked with determination to the nearest payphone and called up the following people: Shampoo, Kodachi, Ukyou and Akane. "Meet me that this payphone, at this intersection" he demanded with authority in his voice and waited for them. Curious, they all showed up and reconvened to Ukyou's restaurant. The four female martial artists stared in confusion while Ryoga paced the floor nervously. He was no good at public speaking and even worse at talking to women. Finally he forced himself to stop and faced them. With a blushing, but determined face he said "ladies, I need your help. A mutual friend of ours needs help in learning how to talk to a woman, so I need you to go on dates with him for practice" he said in a rush.

The girls looked at each other, even more suspicious until Ukyou leaned forward and asked "which guy?"

"Dr. Tofu" Ryoga explained.

"Isn't he kind of old?" Shampoo asked.

"No you wouldn't actually be dating him; you would go out dressed as Kasumi for authenticity sake. He would be blindfolded and would just talk to you like you were Kasumi. You would communicate with yes and no answers by tapping his palm, once for yes and twice for no" he said, then he explained about what had happened and how short a time period they had to change Kasumi's mind.

"I'm in, Dr. Tofu's too nice a guy to lose his girl this way" Ukyou stated.

"Shampoo agree, he gave me job when new to Japan, even when could barely speak language. Shampoo much better now" the Amazon girl declared.

"I will always assist in l'affaire d'amour" Kodachi said.

"Glad you all agree, Akane can I count on you to help with retrieving clothes and personal items?" Ryoga asked.

"Yes, you can" she declared. "I won't be going on any of the dates?" she asked.

"No you're too distinctive to go on the dates" Ryoga pointed out.

"What dates?" Ranma asked entering the restaurant, followed by Mousse and Kuno, both of whom were glaring at Ryoga along with Ranma. "See? I told you that this was the logical place to look after I overheard his phone conversation" Ranma said.

"No one dates Shampoo but me!" Mousse cried, earning him a cuff on his head from his ladylove.

"Nor does anyone date my sister without my permission" Kuno said taking a glance at his sister.

"Relax brother dear, they're just fake dates to help Dr. Tofu" Kodachi simpered.

Kuno the height of his poetry said "huh?"

"It's like this..." Ryoga explained it to them.

"So it's just to teach him how to speak normally to Kasumi?" Ranma said. "Pretty good plan. Here I thought you were trying to date the girls" he explained.

"All four of them at once?" Ryoga asked dubiously.

"I guess I just wasn't thinking" Ranma replied with a blush.

"Yes I can approve of fake dates, somehow my sister dating a man twice her age sounded a little off" Kuno said.

"You know that Kasumi's only three years older then Kodachi right?" Ukyou pointed out.

"Yes but three years closer to twenty sounds better to me" Kuno explained.

"So why are you helping Ryoga?" Ranma asked.

"Dr. Tofu did a favour for me and I kind of owe him one" Ryoga explained with his cheeks flaming.

"What sort of favour?" Ranma asked.

"Never you mind" Ryoga said hotly.

"I want to help to" Ranma said.

"How? By being one of the girls?" Ryoga asked.

"No I could shadow them to make sure that they get into danger. A blindfolded guy walking alone with a pretty girl is just asking for trouble" Ranma pointed out.

"You know that we're all martial artist too!" Ukyou cried indignantly.

"I would feel safer if you allowed us to watch over you" Kuno said to Kodachi.

The girls all shrugged as if saying "fine with me"

"Good, then we're all working together as a team until this is resolved. Agreed?" Ryoga said to them all.


	4. Chapter 4

Sean Ross was a tall man of six foot two, he had dirty blond hair, a slimly muscular body and bright blue eyes that were oddly Asian in shape, this was just a coincidence; he was a mixture of Hungarian and Scottish. He'd been invited to his fiancée's home to meet her family and was somewhat mystified at the number of teenagers in attendance.

They all seemed to be glaring a challenge at him while battle aura surrounded their heads. He recognized two of them as being related to Kasumi, the one with the dark bob and the petit brunette who had the same gentle eyes as her sister. He couldn't place who the girl with outrageous purple hair might be, nor the geeky looking guy in the baggy white robe, nor the guy in the red Chinese shirt or the bandannaed guy with the red parasol. Then there were the kendo uniform wearing guy, the woman in the gym leotard and girl with the giant spatula; they really threw him for a loop. "Miss, I love the colour you dyed your hair" he offered nervously to the purple haired girl, thinking her perhaps a distant cousin or something.

"Shampoo no dye her hair, she natural all over" she said as if in challenge.

"Oh, a thousand pardons" he said politely, wondering about the bad Japanese. Kasumi's father had been watching him with just as much suspicion. "Are these all your children?" he asked the tanned, mustached man.

"No, my children are Akane, Kasumi and Nabiki" he said indicating the girls Sean had thought. "This is Ranma, Akane's fiancé" he said, indicating to the red shirt clad boy beside Akane. "And these are their friends who decided to attend; though I don't recall inviting them" he said in confusion.

"Kasumi's like a sister to us all; if she's getting engaged then we had to meet you. Now how long have you been dating?" Ukyou demanded in a challenging tone, making everyone move forward threateningly. Sean gulped nervously, but Kasumi just laughed. She was used to their crazy antics and thought nothing of it.

"Six months, we only ever met on the nights of my library group, so that no one knew. I'm sorry about the deception, but it was nice having a secret. Sean and I never meant to hurt you" Kasumi soothed, taking his hand. She wore a huge engagement ring. He smiled nervously at the assembled people.

"We're having a short engagement; but we'll be back to visit and you're all invited to visit whenever you wish" Sean assured them.

"How you make money? You kill cow for living?" Shampoo asked with a frown.

"My family owns the largest commercial organic cattle ranches in the united states. I hardly work in the slaughter house, I'm vice president of the company" he explained.

"So your family's rich?" Soun asked.

"Yes" Sean answered, and then noticed, what he assumed was their pet panda and Soun linked arms and started skipping around.

"Welcome to the family" the delighted father said. Sean relaxed, but the rest didn't look convinced.

"You know, we should throw Kasumi an engagement party?" Ukyou said thoughtfully. "I'll cater it"

"Shampoo help cater too and girls help with decorations" she agreed.

"What's this going to cost?" Soun asked sharply.

"Nothing, Nekohanten already has wedding decorations, just have to use. Chinese decorations okay?" she asked. "Then myself and Ukyou supply food. All you need do is invite guests" Shampoo said.

"Free sounds good to me" he declared. "Sean do you have friends to invite?" he asked.

Sean glanced from one face to the other "sure, when this is taking place?"

"Day before you leave" Shampoo declared.

"Really? I was hoping for a proper engagement party" Kasumi admitted.

"Then consider it done, Sugar. There's no way in heck you're leaving without a proper send off" Ukyou declared.

Later

Ryoga marched back and forth as he instructed the girls in a tone worthy of an army drill sergeant, causing the females to watch him pace back and forth as if watching a tennis match.

"Kasumi doesn't wear perfume; her only scent besides anti-perspirant and soap, is vanilla body spray. This is how you will have to smell too" he lectured. "A man who's been in love with a woman as long as he's been knows everything about her, the way she smells, the way her clothes rustle when she walks, her voice, everything. Isn't that right Mousse?" Ryoga asked. Mousse blushed and nodded. "You all will be wearing her clothes to make it seem more authentic. Now that we've met the competition, we have to work fast" he lectured.

"He no competition, in our tribe scrawny men like him reserved for deformed and midget girls" Shampoo sneered out of loyalty to Dr. Tofu.

"Well said Shampoo" Ukyou said for once, then looked at the outfit that Akane had handed her. It seemed to be some kind of frilly sack. "What the hell is this?" she demanded. The other girls were having similar reactions to the garments and the guy's biting their lips to keep from laughing.

"Those are what you shall be wearing on your dates. Most of you are a similar size to Kasumi and whatever doesn't fit, can be hastily altered" Ryoga explained.

"Doesn't she have nicer clothes?" Shampoo asked.

"You've seen how she dresses. She's a modest person who doesn't care about fashion and you shall be the same. Don't forget, as well as her clothes, you have to wear her side ponytail and no makeup" Ryoga warned.

"Hiya, Shampoo always wear makeup!" Shampoo objected.

"Not tonight" Ryoga cautioned "you're going first" he ordered her.

"How are we even going to get him to agree to this?" Ranma asked.

"I have my ways" Ryoga said with a fang toothed smile.

Dr. Tofu

Dr. Tofu hadn't been sleeping very well, he kept on having horrible dreams that Kasumi had already left and had taken to shadowing her wherever she went. The worst had been when she had been trying on wedding dresses with her sisters; they'd gone to Chinatown to see if they could get a good one off the bargain rack. He'd made himself watch as she tried on the dresses, each one making her look more angelic then the last. Her wistful smile as she looked at herself was enough to break his heart. Eventually he'd gone home and did something he never did; he got drunk. He wouldn't have if he knew that Kasumi's wistful smile was for her picturing him standing beside her.

Ryoga

Ryoga knocked on the door to Dr. Tofu's house after Ranma had dropped him off; he was shocked to see him looking like crap. "Coffee?" he asked handing the cup to him, which Ono grabbed and drained on the spot.

"Rough night" he explained to the shocked martial artist.

"Does this have anything to do with Kasumi going to America?" Ryoga asked.

"How did you know?" Ono asked startled.

"Everyone knows about your feelings for her, but Kasumi herself" Ryoga explained. "That's why we want to help" Ryoga said.

"We?" Ono asked.

"Mousse, Shampoo, Ukyou, Akane, Ranma, Kuno, Kodachi and I" Ryoga explained.

"How do you intend to help me?" he asked.

"Simple, we have four girls and you need practice talking to Kasumi. The girls are going to pretend to be her and go on dates with you" he explained.

"This will help me how?" Ono asked.

"Just try it, or I'll tell Kasumi that you've been stalking her" Ryoga threatened.

Shampoo

Shampoo washed off her makeup and then put on the pink ruffled blouse and dark blue jumper that Ryoga had given her. She wrinkled her nose she tied her hair into side ponytail, topped by a floppy pink bow. She looked so dowdy and plain to herself that it was ridiculous. "How anyone want to wear these clothes?" she asked herself as she eyed herself from every angle. She sighed and closed the door to her room.

"Hi Shampoo, are you ready for your date?" Mousse asked, and then slapped his hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles at her appearance, causing him to shake with silent laughter.

"What Mousse find so funny?" she asked while tapping her foot. This made her look even more like a prim young housewife and made Mousse to laugh even harder.

"Sorry, you just look so different" he said wiping his tears away.

"Shampoo look ugly?" she asked with a blush.

"Likes its even possible for you to look ugly! No you look like Kasumi; sweet and unassuming. It's a different look for you, but you still look beautiful" Mousse said.

Shampoo gave him a wide smile "thanks Mousse, Shampoo feel better now" she said. "You date shadow tonight?" she asked.

"S-sure" he stammered as she took his arm, he was in seventh heaven when she held it all the way to Dr. Tofu's house. She knocked on the door and was admitted by Ryoga and the blindfolded Dr. Tofu.

Ryoga greeted her silently and said "Kasumi's here for your date, don't you want to say something to her?" he prompted Dr. Tofu.

"You look lovely tonight Kasumi, is that a new outfit?" he said feeling stupider by the minute.

Shampoo stifled her giggles and tapped his palm twice 'no'

"Well you always do look lovely in anything you wear; I imagine tonight is no exception" Dr. Tofu said, determined to stick with this plan, no matter how stupid it was. All he knew was, that this girl was either Akane or one of the other fiancées and he was just making a fool of himself. "Would you like some tea before we go out to dinner or shall we go a little early, yes or no? 'tap, tap' "dinner it is" he declared and allowed himself to be led in the direction of the restaurant.

Shampoo tried to hold her purse how Kasumi did; arms straight down and in front of her legs, but found the purse kept bouncing off them "Japanese girls hold purse weird" she muttered and put it in one hand. When they got to the restaurant, they got a table immediately and quite a few stares.

The special were read and Dr. Tofu asked her which one she wanted, until she tapped his hand at the correct number. Despite the awkwardness of communication, Shampoo found herself enjoying pretending to be Kasumi. The doctor was an attentive date and left a gal wanting for nothing. He knew everything that Kasumi liked and wanted to order it for her, but still consulted her on each item prior to doing so.

She easily held his hand as they walked back to his place and she halted before his house. Dr. Tofu had gotten so comfortable with the unknown female, that it was like he was able to communicate with the real Kasumi, she even smelled like her! He finally gave into his despair and said "I know that you're not really Kasumi, but I want to tell you that I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. There I said it! All my life I've been good with words, expect when I see you, and then they all desert me. Please don't go to America" he said. He was answered when the unknown female hugged him, he felt her soft hair and lightly touched the bow in her ponytail, and then she softly pushed him inside and closed the door. He sighed and removed his blindfold, sat down and pretended that it really had been successful date Kasumi. She'd hugged him!

Shampoo stood in the shadows lost in thought at witnessing the doctor's pain. "How'd it go?" Mousse asked her when he joined her.

She blinked away a compassionate tears and said "no matter what, she can't go to America without knowing how he loves her" she declared. She took his arm again. "Shampoo feel bad for doctor, we go home and play cards, make Shampoo feel better?" she suggested.

"Not a problem" he replied.


End file.
